Get creative about physical activity (outside the house) when you're caring for a toddler

Do you remember a time when you wished you could fit more exercise into your life?

Now that you have a small child (or two, or more), here's your chance! Moving your body as much as possible when you are caring for a toddler is important because

• Moving a lot feels good

• Being out of the house and on the move keeps toddlers dialled down

• Being on the move outside the home can make a big difference (over time) to your family's sleep

• Independently of small children, lots of physical activity improves adult

  • Sleep

  • Mental and emotional wellbeing

  • Immune health

  • Physical health.

From a life-time working as a GP, I've formed the view that each of us, whether we're in the perinatal period or not, needs to expand ways in which we enjoy moving so that we're not really exercising, just delighting in the miracle of being alive and active in our own precious human body. Any serious, goal-oriented fitness and conditioning exercise you decide to layer in on top of a baseline, daily joy of movement becomes a bonus.

I acknowledge that many carers of babies and toddlers live with disabilities. Some may not find this article helpful. For others it may bring up grief. If this is you, you might enjoy the website disABILITY maternity care.

How to move alot when you're caring for a toddler

It's true that when you're in the role of primary carer of a toddler, your days are inevitably full of the physicality of bending and lifting and stretching and reaching.

Going for a walk with the toddler in a front carrier (looking out) or a backpack carrier works well for many primary carers, especially if the toddler won't tolerate the stroller for long. Toddlers seem to find being in a backpack much more interesting!

Here are other ways women or primary carers keep moving when caring for a toddler.

• Mums and kids yoga

• Riding your bike with your child in a trailer or a child seat fixed on the back. Having your little one able to see the world around him and feel the fresh air is an important part of this sensory motor experience

• If you need to be at home, turning on your favourite music and dancing with your little one

• Gardening

• If you're a runner, you might invest in a jogger, which is a stroller designed especially for someone running with a small child. But most often at my local parkrun, parents run (or walk) pushing ordinary strollers

• Is there a child-friendly gym near you?

Selected references

Huang H-H, Stubbs B, Chen L-J. The effect of physical activity on sleep disturbance in various populations: a scoping review of randomized clinical trials. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 2023;20(44):https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-12023-01449-12967.

Wang J, Carru C, Sedda S. Comparative impact of exercise-based interventions for postpartum depression: a Bayesian network meta-analysis. International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics. 2023;00:1-9.

Recommended resources, acknowledgements, and selected references for the articles in the Caring for you section of The Possums Sleep Program are found here, including selected research evaluations of both Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Compassion-focused Therapy in the perinatal period.